live Saudi, Turkish, Pakistani Officials Set For Iran Talks Amid Houthi Attacks

Top representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, members of the so-called Mecca alliance, were set to meet in Iran's capital, Tehran, on October 26, according to media reports.

Saudi Arabia was to be represented by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkey by intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Reuters reported, citing sources.

The deputy secretary of Iran's top security body, Ali Bagheri Kani, told the state television that senior Saudi, Pakistani, and Turkish officials would visit Tehran for regional security talks.

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Testing Times For Mecca Alliance Partners As Iran-Aligned Houthis Mount Attacks

The planned talks would mark the first high-level contact between Iran and representatives of all three countries since Saudi Arabia came under intensifying attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed in the Saudi city of Mecca on August 7 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries shall be regarded as an attack against all three.

Turkey's parliament has yet to ratify the agreement, while Pakistan approved the pact last week.

With reporting from Reuters

The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Adm. Brad Cooper, visited the Strait of Hormuz on October 25, as US forces marked a milestone by helping Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through the waterway since the summer, CENTCOM said in a statement.

"More than 3,000 commercial vessels have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz with support from CENTCOM forces over the last six months," according to the statement.

"Today, primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear of Iranian sea mines thanks to incredible efforts by our people," Cooper said.

"We remain intensely focused on keeping commercial traffic flowing as we work with our teammates in the US interagency, Gulf Cooperation Council, and shipping industry," he added.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway that Tehran has effectively closed since the war in the Middle East began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Iran has demanded that ships obtain permission to transit the strait, through which about one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.

In response to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels on April 13.

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Every Day We 'Wake Up Poorer': Iranians Battle Economic Woes

"The Strait of Hormuz is open. There's almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month, adding that Iran has "lost complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz.

Maritime tracking firm Kpler reported that crude oil exports reached pre-war levels in September, with at least 16.5 million barrels shipped from the region, excluding Iran.

With reporting by AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Tehran and its proxy groups could try to disrupt Israel's October 27 elections.

Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, citing the war he launched along with the United States against Iran in February.

"We have intelligence signs that our enemies, Iran, and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office on October 25.

"Don't test us. You will suffer disproportionate blows," he warned Tehran.

US President Donald Trump has urged Israelis to vote for Netanyahu, calling him an "outstanding warrior" in remarks on October 25.

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has called for a nationwide campaign to cut natural gas consumption by at least a tenth as the country braces for winter shortages worsened by its war with the United States and Israel.

"To get through the approaching winter, a nationwide effort is essential...to reduce gas consumption by at least 10 percent," Qalibaf said, adding that consumers would receive payments directly into their bank accounts for gas saved.

Iran, a major gas producer, has long struggled with domestic shortages, exacerbated by US-Israeli strikes on energy infrastructure, including gas refineries, during nearly 40 days of intense fighting when war broke out between the countries in February.

First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref warned earlier in October of a daily winter gas shortfall of 100 million to 250 million cubic meters due to war damage, but said he hoped to restore around 100 million cubic meters of supply before winter.

An April cease-fire ended intense bombardment, but tensions persist over the Strait of Hormuz.

With reporting by AFP

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps IRGC) carried out drone strikes against positions held by the Iranian Kurdish opposition group Komala in northern Iraq, the Mehr news agency reported on October 25.

"As part of a drone operation carried out by the Revolutionary Guards' ground forces, the headquarters of the terrorist and separatist group Komala, located in the Balisan region, was targeted last night," Mehr reported.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the IRGC has not confirmed the attack.

Iran has repeatedly targeted Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region since conflict broke out in the Middle East in February.

With reporting by dpa and AFP

Explosions could be heard in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, early on October 25 as authorities prepared to reopen the city’s international airport after a two-week closure caused by repeated attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.

The Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted a ballistic missile targeting Riyadh and two drones in the capital area. It later reported intercepting a cruise missile aimed at the southern city of Khamis Mushait, while air raid warnings were issued in other southern areas.

An AFP journalist heard three explosions in Riyadh, where residents received warnings of a hostile aerial threat.

King Khalid International Airport was scheduled to resume flights on October 25, although the extent of its operations remained unclear. A Houthi military spokesman had warned that the airport remained "unsafe" and a "military target".

A Houthi attack on the airport earlier this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognized government in Yemen, which Riyadh supports, have come under increasing attacks in recent weeks from the Houthis as a years-long cease-fire collapsed during the summer as an offshoot to the US-Iran war that erupted in February.

Meanwhile, the Saudi civil defense agency said it had responded to falling debris in the Mecca and Medina regions on October 24 after intercepting two Houthi missiles.

The Houthis denied targeting the cities, the two holiest in Islam, labeling Riyadh's claim a "huge lie."

With reporting by AFP. This live blog entry has been updated.

Saudi Arabia said on October 24 that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels toward the western cities of Taif and Yanbu.

Earlier, the kingdom’s Civil Defense Directorate briefly issued “potential danger” warnings for Taif, Yanbu, the holy city of Mecca, and the Red Sea port of Jeddah. The alerts were lifted minutes later after authorities announced that the danger had passed.

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks since the US-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28. In recent weeks, the Houthis have also intensified attacks on the kingdom, targeting airports and oil infrastructure.

A Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on October 10 killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. The Yemeni rebels have also warned airlines against using Saudi airspace.

The Saudi-led coalition backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 had largely halted fighting between the two sides, but hostilities resumed earlier this year amid the wider Middle East conflict.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian is set to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during a visit to Moscow next week, according to Iranian media.

Pezeshkian will be attending a meeting of gas-exporting countries, which will take place in the Russian capital on October 27.

Quoting Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency said that the two leaders will discuss economic cooperation and geopolitics.

Pezeshkian is undertaking his Moscow visit amid mounting US and Israeli threats of renewed attacks against Iran.

On October 23, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack warned that Washington could strike Iran as soon as this weekend.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Iran for the first time since the start of the Iran war in late February.

The eighth Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit will discuss global gas market developments, cooperation among gas exporters, and promoting natural gas’s role in the global economy.

Saudi Arabia has postponed the United Nations World Data Forum and the Second Saudi Statistical Forum, originally scheduled for November 9–12 in Riyadh, until 2027.

The country's General Authority for Statistics announced the decision on October 23. It said the postponement was intended to ensure broad international participation by speakers, experts, and partners and to deliver an event that meets the expectations of the global data and statistics community.

The announcement follows Saudi Arabia's decision earlier in the week to postpone its flagship Future Investment Initiative conference, commonly known as Davos in the Desert, until next year. That event had been scheduled for October 26–29.

The postponements come amid escalating regional conflict and attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis that have disrupted business activity and raised security concerns.

Other events have also been affected. The Six Kings Slam tennis tournament in Riyadh was moved from October to December 27–30, citing organizational and logistical challenges. Saudi Arabia's round of the World Rally Championship was removed from the 2026 calendar, although the separate Middle East Rally Championship event remained scheduled.

Questions have also been raised about the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, due to take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5. The Asian Football Confederation has discussed the possibility of postponement, but Saudi organizers have said preparations are continuing as planned.

New dates for the two statistical forums have not yet been announced.

US President Donald Trump is considering resuming military operations against Iran with several days of strikes, potentially shortly after the November 3 midterm elections, The Atlantic reported on October 22, citing US officials.

The magazine said Trump has received competing proposals from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bessent reportedly argues that sanctions and a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could force Tehran to make concessions in negotiations. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has advocated another round of US-Israeli strikes aimed at overthrowing Iran's government.

According to The Atlantic, the administration appears to be considering a combination of economic pressure and military action. Potential targets include Iran's missile and drone arsenals, energy infrastructure, and nuclear facilities.

An outside adviser told the magazine that "the economic pressure is working, and we believe Iran is getting close to the edge." The adviser added that new strikes "would push them over."

However, The Atlantic questioned whether the strategy would succeed, noting that Iran's negotiating position has changed little despite severe economic pressure. The magazine warned that renewed attacks could trigger wider regional escalation without forcing Tehran to surrender.

US officials stressed that no decision had been made about resuming strikes after the elections. The report described ongoing discussions and military preparations, not an approved attack plan.

The uncertainty comes amid high energy prices and stalled negotiations. Trump has publicly ruled out new attacks before the midterms, leaving open the possibility of a later decision.